Box thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
The Himalayas and South-East Asia, Room 47a

Box

ca. 1850 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Burma (made)

Massive gold straight sided cylindrical Betel Box. Grooved patterns closely inlaid with rubies, emeralds and diamonds.


Object details

Categories
Gemstones
India Museum
Object type
Box
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Cover (Closure)
  • Box
Materials and techniques
Gold, diamonds, emeralds and rubies
Brief description
Burmese gold box and cover. Konbaung Dynasty (1752-1885). ca. 1850. Set with rubies, diamonds and emeralds.
Physical description
Massive gold straight sided cylindrical Betel Box. Grooved patterns closely inlaid with rubies, emeralds and diamonds.
Dimensions
  • Height: 8.9cm
  • Diameter: 11.4cm
Style
Konbaung Period
Production typeUnique
Gallery label
  • Box and Pot 1800–55 Konbaung period The quality of this box and pot suggests that they were made for royalty or a high ranking member of the court at one of the former capital cities. The sides of the box are decorated with a wave (acheik) pattern. Its top bears the protective ‘nine planet’ (narawat) design formed by eight diamonds around a large ruby. Box: gold, diamonds, emeralds and rubies Pot: gold and rubies Burma (probably Amarapura or Ava, now Inwa) Acquired by the East India Company Museum in 1855 Museum nos. 02751&a (IS), 02750 (IS)(14/06/2011)
Object history
Received into Indian Museum 1855. Possibly part of the Exposition Universelle in Paris 1855.
Originally contained two gold trays - reported missing 9/5/55

Historical significance: The sumptuousness of this article especially with the narawat (nine stone) ornament on the lid suggests that it may have originally belonged to a member of the Burmese royal family or to a high official of the court of Ava.

Register of 1880 - "From the King of Burma"
Production
Acquired by the India Museum in 1855.
Bibliographic reference
Burmese art / John Lowry. London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1974 Number: 0112901794 : cat. no. 30
Other number
9830 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
02751A/(IS)

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Record createdMarch 16, 1999
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O10613/box-unknown/
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